Tyson Fury is a heavy favorite to spoil the professional boxing debut of Francis Ngannou this coming October, but “Gypsy King” also believes he’d wipe the floor with the former UFC heavyweight champion inside of the cage.
It was a bit of a shock to see Fury agree to welcome Ngannou to the boxing ring later this year, but here we are. The two massive heavyweights will collide on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia as Fury puts his undefeated professional boxing record on the line. It will mark Ngannou’s first trip to the boxing ring since parting ways with UFC earlier this year.
Fury, who has knocked off the best boxing heavyweights in the world over the course of his storied career, is a sizeable betting favorite to dismiss Ngannou’s punching power and send the former UFC champion packing. Of course, the playing field would be evened if the two heavyweights were competing inside of the cage compared to a boxing ring. Or would it?
“I think I can beat you in the cage,” Fury told Ngannou during Thursday’s pre-fight press conference (replay HERE). “I would kick your ass in the cage, no problem, 100 percent, 100 percent. I’ll personally beat you in the boxing ring and kick your ass in the cage. One hundred percent, I’ll beat you at boxing, and then I’ll beat you in the cage, no problem. … I’ll best him at boxing and then beat him in a cagefight, no two ways about it.”
Fury, who has zero experience in any other form of combat than boxing, stirred the pot earlier this year when he discussed a potential crossover fight opposite Jon Jones. Nothing ever materialized and “Gypsy King” ended up signing the dotted line to fight Ngannou inside of the ring. That is Fury’s bread-and-butter and few fighters can match his skill and output as a boxer.
However, there’s simply no way the towering Englishman would ever do well enough to defeat Ngannou inside of the cage while fighting under a MMA ruleset. Not only does Fury lack one-punch knockout power to end such a fight in the opening seconds, but he possesses zero ability on the ground. He even struggled to grapple Darren Till when the two mixed it up a few years back (watch HERE).
Luckily for Fury, October’s fight opposite Ngannou will be contested inside of the boxing ring with large gloves and zero grappling involved. Fury will be on the hot seat to ward off the legendary power of “Predator” and prove that there are real levels to striking.
Thoughts?
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
